Communication methods and communication devices

Abstract

Embodiments of this application may be applied to IEEE Standards 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11ba, 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, EHT, Wi-Fi 8, UHR, Wi-Fi AI, or their next-generation standards, UWB-based wireless personal local area network systems, or sensing systems. The embodiments provide a communication method and a communication device, in which discovery information for an AP affiliated with an AP MLD includes information about the AP MLD. In this way, when a station receives a discovery frame transmitted by an AP, the station can determine that the AP is affiliated with the AP MLD by using the AP MLD information in the discovery information for the AP. Thus, the station can discover the AP, determine the AP MLD with which the AP is affiliated, and then perform AP MLD discovery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of wireless communication, and more specifically, to communication methods and communication devices.

Background Art

[0002] A wake-up radio (WUR) non-access point (non-AP) station (STA) is a non-high throughput (non-HT), high throughput (HT), very high throughput (VHT), or high efficiency (HE) non-AP STA that has the ability to receive a WUR physical protocol data unit (PPDU) and supports WUR operation. A WUR access point (AP) is a non-HT, HT, VHT, or HE AP that has the ability to transmit a WUR PPDU and supports WUR operation.

[0003] WUR operation includes at least WUR discovery. WUR discovery is mainly used for extremely low power position scanning and roaming scanning. Regarding WUR facilitated position scanning, a mobile device uses its WUR receiver to scan one or more WUR discovery channels, and uses the signal strength measured from the WUR PPDU and received from neighboring APs to provide additional information for location services on the mobile device. WUR facilitated position scanning provides an extremely low power position scanning mechanism because the power consumption by the WUR receiver is much smaller than that of the main wireless receiver. Regarding WUR facilitated roaming scanning, a mobile device uses its WUR receiver to passively scan multiple WUR discovery channels and collect basic information about neighboring APs. The collected information can be used to facilitate the roaming decision of the mobile device. WUR facilitated roaming scanning provides an extremely low power roaming scanning mechanism. In addition, the extremely low power roaming scanning can be executed very frequently in the background, and thus, the roaming information can be made immediately available whenever necessary, leading to a reduction in roaming delay.

[0004] However, the WUR discovery mechanism described above is designed to assist in the discovery of WUR APs based on single-link operation. Consequently, the above WUR discovery mechanism cannot be directly applied to the discovery of WUR AP multilink devices (MLDs) based on multilink operation (MLO).

[0005] Therefore, the challenge lies in how to extend the WUR discovery mechanism to WUR AP MLD discovery. [Overview of the project]

[0006] Embodiments of the present invention provide a communication method and apparatus that helps in discovering AP MLD.

[0007] According to a first embodiment, a communication method is provided which includes the steps of: a station receiving a first frame, the first frame including discovery information for a first AP that is affiliated with AP MLD, and the discovery information for the first AP including information for AP MLD; a station receiving a second frame from the first AP, the second frame being used to discover the first AP; and a station determining, based on the discovery information for the first AP and the second frame, that the first AP is affiliated with AP MLD.

[0008] Optionally, the first frame is either a beacon frame or a probe response frame.

[0009] Optionally, the second frame is the WUR Discovery frame.

[0010] The APs that send the first frame and the second frame may be the same or different. In other words, the first frame may be sent by the first AP or by another AP.

[0011] According to the method described above, discovery information for a first AP that is affiliated with an AP MLD includes information about the AP MLD. In this way, when a station discovers a first AP, i.e., when the station receives a second frame transmitted by the first AP, the station can use the information about the AP MLD in the discovery information for the first AP to determine that the first AP is affiliated with an AP MLD. Thus, the station can discover an AP, determine which AP MLD the AP is affiliated with, and then perform AP MLD discovery.

[0012] In an embodiment of the first aspect, the AP MLD information includes at least one of the following parameters: the AP MLD ID of the AP MLD, the link ID of the first AP within the AP MLD, or the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the AP MLD.

[0013] According to this embodiment, the station can determine the AP MLD with which the AP is affiliated, its link ID within that AP MLD, or the MAC address of the AP MLD with which the AP is affiliated.

[0014] In an embodiment of the first embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the first embodiment, the first frame further includes discovery information for at least one second AP and / or discovery information for at least one third AP, each second AP being an AP affiliated with an AP MLD, the discovery information for each second AP including information for the AP MLD, each third AP being an AP affiliated with a neighboring AP MLD of the AP MLD, the discovery information for each third AP including information for an AP MLD with which the third AP is affiliated.

[0015] According to this embodiment, the first frame also includes discovery information for APs, each of which is an AP affiliated with the same AP MLD as the first AP or an AP affiliated with a neighboring AP MLD. This information can be used to facilitate AP MLD discovery and station roaming.

[0016] In an embodiment of the first embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the first embodiment, the first frame further includes discovery information for at least one fourth AP, the fourth AP being a neighbor AP of the first AP, and the discovery information for each fourth AP includes information for the fourth AP.

[0017] According to this embodiment, the first frame transmitted by the first AP also includes discovery information for APs, each of which is a neighboring AP of the first AP. This information can be used to facilitate station roaming.

[0018] In an embodiment of the first embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the first embodiment, the type of second frame is different from that of a legacy WUR discovery frame, and the second frame includes the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD and primary channel information of at least one second AP associated with the AP MLD.

[0019] According to this embodiment, the second frame can carry essential information about all APs associated with the AP MLD. Therefore, the station can perform a scan on a single discovery channel for each AP MLD. Because the station can obtain essential information about the AP MLD by scanning a single discovery channel, scan delay and power consumption can be significantly reduced.

[0020] In an embodiment of the first aspect or any one of the embodiments of the first aspect, the second frame includes, in particular, a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, a link ID bitmap subfield, and an operating class and channel list subfield, wherein the type subfield is used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield is set to the 12 least significant bits (LSB) of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, and the type-dependent control subfield is AP The most significant bits (MSB) of the compressed MAC address of the MLD are set in the 12 most significant bits, the Link ID bitmap subfield is used to indicate the Link ID of each link in which the corresponding Basic Service Set (BSS) is advertised by the second frame, and the Link ID indicated by the Link ID bitmap subfield includes the Link ID of the first AP and the Link ID of at least one second AP, and the Operating Class and Channel List subfield is used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, and the primary channel information indicated by the Operating Class and Channel List subfield includes the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP.

[0021] In an embodiment of the first aspect or any one embodiment of the first aspect, the second frame includes, in particular, a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, and a plurality of information groups, wherein the type subfield is used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield is set to the 12 LSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the type-dependent control subfield is set to the 12 MSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the plurality of information groups are used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the primary channel information indicated by the plurality of information groups includes the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP, each of the plurality of information groups includes a link ID subfield and an operating class and channel subfield, the link ID subfield is used to indicate the link ID of the link on which the corresponding BSS is advertised by the second frame, and the operating class and channel subfield is used to indicate the primary channel information of the corresponding BSS indicated by the link ID subfield in the same information group.

[0022] In an embodiment of the first aspect or any one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of receiving a second frame from a first AP is: the station generates a request primitive on a system management entity (SME), the request primitive includes a discovery channel list used to indicate one or more discovery channels to be scanned; the station performs a scan on one or more discovery channels and receives a second frame on the MAC layer; and the station returns an approval primitive to the SME based on the second frame on the MAC layer. The approval primitive has the following parameters, namely: An indicator used to indicate that an AP MLD is discovered, a transmitter ID used to indicate the 12 least significant bits of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, CompressedMLDMACAddress_MSB used to indicate the 12 most significant bits of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, A compressed service set identifier (SSID) used to indicate the 16 least significant bits of the short SSID of the AP MLD, A link ID bitmap or a link ID list used to specify one or more APs associated with the AP MLD, An OperatingChannelList used to specify the respective primary channels of one or more APs associated with the AP MLD, and A received signal strength indicator (RSSI) used to indicate the RSSI of the first AP further includes steps including at least one of the above.

[0023] In any one of the embodiments of the first aspect or the embodiments of the first aspect, the request primitive has the following parameters, namely, An indicator used to indicate that the AP MLD is a discovery target, A transmitter ID used to indicate the 12 least significant bits of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD that is the discovery target, CompressedMLDMACAddress_MSB used to indicate the 12 most significant bits of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD that is the discovery target, and A compressed SSID used to indicate the 16 least significant bits of the short SSID of the AP MLD that is the discovery target further includes at least one of the above.

[0024] In any one of the embodiments of the first aspect or the embodiments of the first aspect, the method comprises a step of receiving, by a station, a third frame from a first AP, wherein the third frame includes a compressed MAC address of an AP MLD and primary channel information of at least one second AP associated with the AP MLD, and the type of the third frame is different from that of a legacy WUR discovery frame.

[0025] According to this embodiment, the station obtains essential information of the AP MLD through the second frame and the third frame transmitted by the same AP associated with the AP MLD. Therefore, the station can perform a scan on a single discovery channel for each AP MLD. Since the station can obtain the essential information of the AP MLD by scanning a single discovery channel, the scan delay and power consumption can be significantly reduced.

[0026] In any one of the embodiments of the first aspect or the embodiments of the first aspect, the first frame includes a WUR discovery element, and the discovery information for the first AP is carried by the WUR discovery element, or the first frame includes a WUR discovery element and a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element, the WUR discovery element and the RNR element include information of the AP MLD, the RNR element includes a part of the discovery information for the first AP, and the WUR discovery element does not include a part of the discovery information for the first AP.

[0027] According to this embodiment, for an AP associated with an AP MLD, the discovery information thereof included in the discovery element and the normal discovery information thereof included in the RNR element in the same frame can be associated through the information of the AP MLD. Such an association between the discovery element and the RNR element can be utilized to minimize overhead.

[0028] According to a second aspect, a communication method is provided. Technical effects of the method or any one of the embodiments of the second aspect can be described by reference to those of the first aspect, and are not repeated herein.

[0029] A method provided in a second embodiment includes the steps of: having AP MLD generate a first frame through a first AP affiliated with AP MLD, wherein the first frame includes discovery information for the first AP, and the discovery information for the first AP includes information for AP MLD; and having AP MLD transmit the first frame through the first AP.

[0030] In the second embodiment, the AP MLD information includes at least one of the following parameters: the AP MLD ID of the AP MLD, the link ID of the first AP in the AP MLD, or the MAC address of the AP MLD.

[0031] In an embodiment of the second embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the second embodiment, the first frame further includes discovery information for at least one second AP and / or discovery information for at least one third AP, each second AP being an AP affiliated with an AP MLD, the discovery information for each second AP including information for the AP MLD, each third AP being an AP affiliated with a neighboring AP MLD of the AP MLD, and the discovery information for each third AP including information for an AP MLD with which the third AP is affiliated.

[0032] In an embodiment of the second embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the second embodiment, the first frame further includes discovery information for at least one fourth AP, each fourth AP being a neighbor AP of the first AP, and the discovery information for each fourth AP includes information for the fourth AP.

[0033] In an embodiment of the second embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the second embodiment, the method further includes the step of having the AP MLD transmit a second frame through the first AP based on discovery information for the first AP, the second frame being used to discover the first AP. In an embodiment of the second embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the second embodiment, the type of the second frame is different from that of a legacy WUR discovery frame, and the second frame includes the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD and primary channel information of at least one second AP associated with the AP MLD.

[0034] In an embodiment of the second aspect or any one of the embodiments of the second aspect, the second frame includes, in particular, a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, a link ID bitmap subfield, and an operating class and channel list subfield, wherein the type subfield is used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield is set to the 12 LSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, and the type-dependent control subfield is the AP The MLD's compressed MAC address is set to 12 MSBs, the Link ID bitmap subfield is used to indicate the Link ID of each link advertised by the second frame, the Link ID indicated by the Link ID bitmap subfield includes the Link ID of the first AP and the Link ID of at least one second AP, and the Operating Class and Channel List subfield is used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the Primary Channel Information indicated by the Operating Class and Channel List subfield includes the Primary Channel Information of the first AP and the Primary Channel Information of at least one second AP.

[0035] In an embodiment of the second aspect or any one of the embodiments of the second aspect, the second frame includes, in particular, a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, and a plurality of information groups, wherein the type subfield is used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield is set to the 12 LSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the type-dependent control subfield is set to the 12 MSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the plurality of information groups are used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the primary channel information indicated by the plurality of information groups includes the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP, each of the plurality of information groups includes a link ID subfield and an operating class and channel subfield, the link ID subfield is used to indicate the link ID of the link on which the corresponding BSS is advertised by the second frame, and the operating class and channel subfield is used to indicate the primary channel information of the corresponding BSS indicated by the link ID subfield in the same information group.

[0036] In an embodiment of the second embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the second embodiment, the method further includes the step of transmitting a third frame through a first AP by an AP MLD, wherein the third frame includes the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD and primary channel information of at least one second AP associated with the AP MLD, and the type of the third frame is different from that of a legacy WUR discovery frame.

[0037] In an embodiment of the second embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the second embodiment, the first frame includes a WUR discovery element, and discovery information for the first AP is carried by the WUR discovery element, or the first frame includes a WUR discovery element and an RNR element, the WUR discovery element and the RNR element include AP MLD information, the RNR element includes a portion of the discovery information for the first AP, and the WUR discovery element does not include a portion of the discovery information for the first AP.

[0038] According to a third aspect, an apparatus is provided which is configured to carry out the methods provided by the above-described aspects or embodiments thereof. Specifically, the apparatus may include units and / or modules, such as processing units and / or communication units, for carrying out any of the methods provided by the above-described aspects or embodiments thereof.

[0039] In the third embodiment, the device is a station or AP MLD. When the device is a station or AP MLD, the communication unit may be a transceiver, an input / output interface, or a communication interface. The processing unit may be at least one processor. Optionally, the transceiver is a transmit and receive circuit. Optionally, the input / output interface is an input / output circuit.

[0040] In other embodiments of the third aspect, the device is a chip, a system-on-a-chip, or a circuit in a station or AP MLD. When the device is a chip, a system-on-a-chip, a station or an AP MLD, the communication unit may be an input / output interface, an interface circuit, an output circuit, an input circuit, a pin or associated circuit on a chip, a system-on-a-chip, or a circuit. The processing unit may be at least one processor, a processing circuit, or a logic circuit, etc.

[0041] According to a fourth aspect, an apparatus is provided, which includes one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to execute computer programs stored in memory to carry out any of the methods described above or provided by those embodiments.

[0042] In the fourth embodiment, the device further includes a memory.

[0043] In an embodiment of the fourth embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the fourth embodiment, the device is a station or an AP MLD.

[0044] In other embodiments of the fourth embodiment or any one of the embodiments of the fourth embodiment, the device is a chip, a system-on-a-chip, or a circuit in a station or AP MLD.

[0045] According to a fifth aspect, an apparatus is provided, which includes at least one processor and a communication interface, the at least one processor being used to retrieve a computer program or instruction stored in memory and to carry out any of the methods described above or provided by those embodiments via the communication interface. The communication interface may be implemented in hardware or software.

[0046] In the fifth embodiment, the device further includes a memory.

[0047] According to a sixth aspect, a processor is provided which is configured to execute a computer program stored in memory and to carry out any of the above aspects or the methods provided by those embodiments.

[0048] According to the seventh aspect, a computer-readable medium on which a program is recorded is provided, and the program, when executed, enables a computer to carry out any of the methods described above or provided by those embodiments.

[0049] According to the eighth aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes instructions for carrying out any of the methods provided in the above-described aspects or embodiments thereof.

[0050] According to the ninth aspect, a computer program is provided which, when executed, enables a computer to carry out any of the methods provided in the above-described aspects or embodiments thereof.

[0051] According to a tenth aspect, a chip is provided, which includes at least one processor and a communication interface, the at least one processor which retrieves a computer program or instructions stored in memory and uses the communication interface to carry out any of the methods described above or provided by those embodiments. The communication interface may be implemented in hardware or software.

[0052] In the tenth embodiment, the chip further includes memory.

[0053] When the method provided in this application is performed by chips, this application does not limit the number of chips used to carry out the method. For example, the method may be performed by one chip, or the method may be performed by two or more chips. In addition, when there are two or more chips, there is no limitation on the chip manufacturer, and they may be the same manufacturer or different manufacturers.

[0054] According to the eleventh aspect, a communication system is provided, which includes the station and / or AP MLD described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0055] One or more embodiments are described representatively by corresponding accompanying drawings, and these representative descriptions and drawings do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are described as the same elements, and the drawings are not limited to scale.

[0056] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a communication system to which the embodiments of this application may be applied. [Figure 2] This is a typical architecture for WUR AP MLD. [Figure 3] WUR is a representative architecture for non-AP MLD. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the 400 communication methods. [Figure 5] This is the format for WUR discovery elements. [Figure 6] This is the format for the WUR AP information subfield. [Figure 7] This is the format for the WUR AP parameter subfield. [Figure 8] This is another format for the WUR AP parameter subfield. [Figure 9] This is the format for the legacy WUR Discovery Frame. [Figure 10] This is the format for the frame body field. [Figure 11] This is another common format for frame body fields. [Figure 12] This is another common format for frame body fields. [Figure 13] This is a schematic block diagram of the device according to the present invention. [Figure 14] This is a schematic block diagram of another device according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0057] To gain a detailed understanding of the features and technical content of the embodiments of this disclosure, implementations of the embodiments of this disclosure are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are for reference and illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this disclosure. In the following technical description, many details are revealed to facilitate explanation and to provide a complete understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may be practiced without these details. In other cases, known structures and devices may be shown in a simplified form for the sake of simplicity in the drawings.

[0058] Embodiments of this application may be applied to wireless local area network (WLAN) scenarios. In some examples, embodiments of this application may be applied to IEEE standard 802.11 such as standards 802.11a / b / g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, 802.11ba, 802.11be, Wi-Fi 7, EHT, Wi-Fi 8, UHR (ultra-high reliability), Wi-Fi AI, or their next-generation standards. In other examples, embodiments of this application may be applied to ultra-wideband (UWB) based wireless personal local area network systems or sensing systems.

[0059] Although this application primarily describes the development of WLAN networks, particularly networks applying the IEEE standard 802.11, as an example, it is easy for engineers in this field to understand that embodiments of this application can be extended to other networks or communication systems utilizing various standards or protocols, such as Bluetooth, high-performance wireless local area networks (HIPERLAN), wide area networks (WANs), personal area networks (PANs), cellular networks, new radio (NR), or any other networks currently known or to be developed in the future. Therefore, embodiments of this application can be applied to any suitable wireless network, regardless of coverage and wireless access protocol.

[0060] In one example, Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication system to which embodiments of this application may be applied. The communication system may include one or more access points (APs) and one or more stations (STAs), and Figure 1 shows communication between one AP and one STA as an example. The APs and STAs may communicate wirelessly through various communication standards.

[0061] The AP may be a communications server, router, switch, enterprise AP, or other terminal, and the STA may be a mobile phone, computer, or other terminal. This is not limited to the embodiments of this application.

[0062] An AP (Access Point) may be an access point for terminals (such as mobile phones) to access a wired (or wireless) network. It is primarily deployed within homes, buildings, or work parks with a coverage radius of tens to hundreds of meters. Of course, it can also be deployed outdoors. It connects wireless clients to each other and then connects the wireless network to Ethernet. For example, an AP may be a terminal with a Wi-Fi chip (such as a cell phone) or a network device (such as a router). An AP may be a device that supports the IEEE 802.11 standard. An AP may also be a device that supports various WLAN standards in the 802.11 family, such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11ba, 802.11be, or their next-generation standards. An AP may be an HE AP or an EHT AP, or an AP that is adaptable to future Wi-Fi standards.

[0063] STA may be a wireless communication chip, wireless sensor, or wireless communication terminal. For example, STA may be a mobile phone, tablet, set-top box, smart TV, smart wearable device, vehicle communication equipment, or computer that supports Wi-Fi communication. STA may be a device that supports the IEEE standard 802.11. STA may also be a device that supports various WLAN standards in the 802.11 family, such as 802.11ax, 802.11ac, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11ba, 802.11be, or their next-generation standards.

[0064] For example, AP or STA may be a device applied to a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scenario, a node or sensor applied to an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a sensor applied to a smart city scenario, or a smart camera, smart water meter, smart remote control, or electric meter applied to a smart home scenario.

[0065] Embodiments of this application relate to MLDs, which are devices having multiple radio frequency (RF) modules. Each of the RF modules may operate in a different frequency band (or channel). An MLD may be a wireless communication device that supports parallel transmission of multiple links. An MLD has higher transmission efficiency and throughput than a device that supports only a single link.

[0066] An MLD includes one or more affiliated STAs. Each of the one or more affiliated STAs has its own MAC address and is a station capable of operating on a single link. An MLD also has an MLD MAC address. An affiliated STA may be an AP or a non-AP STA. For convenience of explanation in this application, an MLD in which one or more APs are affiliated may be referred to as an AP MLD, and an MLD in which one or more STAs are affiliated may be referred to as a non-AP MLD. A WUR non-AP MLD is a non-AP MLD capable of receiving WUR PPDUs using a single wake-up radio and supporting extended WUR operation, and a WUR AP MLD is an AP MLD capable of transmitting WUR PPDUs and supporting extended WUR operation. Extended WUR operation is defined at the MLD level instead of the link level.

[0067] A typical architecture for a WUR AP MLD is shown in Figure 2. A WUR AP MLD always operates in cooperation with one or more affiliated APs per link. The MLD lower MAC sublayer components operate independently of the lower MACs in other affiliated APs and implement link-specific functions shared between each affiliated AP and AP MLD operation. At least one physical layer (PHY) corresponding to a WUR channel can transmit a WUR PPDU, and the MLD upper MAC sublayer and at least one MLD lower MAC sublayer corresponding to a WUR channel can support extended WUR operation. A typical architecture for a WUR non-AP MLD is shown in Figure 3, which includes an MLD upper MAC sublayer and an MLD lower MAC sublayer (one per link). A single upper MAC sublayer within a WUR non-AP MLD range can operate in the MLO at any given time for association with a WUR AP MLD on multiple MLD lower MAC sublayers and PHY pairs. A WUR receiver can receive a WUR PPDU on one of the links corresponding to the WUR channel, and can support extended WUR operation with at least one of the MLD upper MAC sublayers and the MLD lower MAC sublayers corresponding to the WUR channel.

[0068] As explained in the background technology section above, the current discovery mechanism is designed to assist in AP discovery based on single-link operation. Consequently, the current discovery mechanism cannot be directly applied to WUR AP MLD discovery based on MLO. Therefore, the challenge lies in how to extend the discovery mechanism for AP MLD discovery.

[0069] To address the above-mentioned problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a communication method and communication device that are useful for discovering AP MLDs. The proposed solutions of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0070] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of communication method 400. Method 400 may be performed by AP MLD and STA, or by modules or units within AP MLD and STA, and for convenience of explanation, they will be referred to as AP MLD and STA below. Method 400 specifically includes the following steps.

[0071] Step 401: AP MLD transmits the first frame through the first AP that is partnered with AP MLD, and therefore STA receives the first frame from the first AP.

[0072] The first AP may be any of the APs affiliated with the AP MLD, and the first AP will be used as an example below. The STA may be a non-AP STA. It should be noted that in the WUR scenario, the AP, AP MLD, and STA may be referred to as the WUR AP, WUR AP MLD, and WUR non-AP STA, respectively. The first frame may contain discovery information for the first AP, and the discovery information for the first AP contains information for the AP MLD. In possible implementations, the information for the AP MLD includes at least one of the following parameters: the AP MLD ID of the AP MLD, the link ID of the first AP within the AP MLD, or the MAC address of the AP MLD.

[0073] Discovery information for the first AP may also include other standard discovery information for the first AP, such as the discovery channel and discovery period.

[0074] It should be noted that Method 400 takes only the first frame transmitted by the first AP as an example. The first frame may be transmitted by the first AP or by another AP. For example, the other AP may be an AP affiliated with AP MLD like the first AP, a neighbor AP, or an AP affiliated with a neighbor AP MLD.

[0075] Step 402: AP MLD transmits the second frame through the first AP that is partnered with AP MLD, and therefore STA receives the second frame from the first AP.

[0076] The second frame is used to discover the first AP. The second frame carries essential information about the first AP, such as its primary channel information.

[0077] The second frame may be a discovery frame. This application does not limit the format of the discovery frame. Step 403: The STA determines that the first AP is affiliated with AP MLD, based on the discovery information for the first AP and the second frame.

[0078] The STA may determine the discovery information for the first AP according to the information contained in the second frame and associated with the discovery information for the first AP, and then determine that the first AP is affiliated with the AP MLD according to the AP MLD information in the discovery information for the first AP. The information associated with the discovery information for the first AP may include, for example, at least one of the following parameters: the compressed basic service set identifier (BSSID) of the first AP, the compressed short SSID of the first AP, or the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD.

[0079] According to Method 400, discovery information for a first AP that is affiliated with an AP MLD includes information about the AP MLD. Thus, when the STA discovers the first AP, that is, when the STA receives a second frame transmitted by the first AP, the STA can use the information about the AP MLD in the discovery information for the first AP to determine that the first AP is affiliated with an AP MLD. Therefore, the STA can discover the AP, determine which AP MLD the AP is affiliated with, and then perform AP MLD discovery.

[0080] Embodiments of Method 400 are described in detail below.

[0081] With respect to the first frame, in a possible implementation, the first frame further includes discovery information for at least one second AP and / or discovery information for at least one third AP, where each second AP is an AP affiliated with an AP MLD, and the discovery information for each second AP includes information for the AP MLD; each third AP is an AP affiliated with a neighboring AP MLD of the AP MLD, and the discovery information for each third AP includes information for the AP MLD with which the third AP is affiliated. The discovery information for each second AP and / or each third AP may also include other normal discovery information, such as discovery channels and discovery periods.

[0082] In other possible implementations, the first frame further includes discovery information for at least one fourth AP, each fourth AP being a neighboring AP of the first AP, and the discovery information for each fourth AP includes information about the fourth AP. The discovery information for each fourth AP may include standard discovery information, such as the discovery channel and discovery period.

[0083] In other possible implementations, the first frame may be a beacon frame or a probe response frame. In one example, discovery information for each of the first AP, at least one second AP, at least one third AP, or at least one fourth AP may be carried in a discovery element, such as a WUR discovery element. In other words, the first frame contains a discovery element, and the discovery information for the first AP is carried in the discovery element.

[0084] In WUR scenarios, AP, AP MLD, and discovery elements are sometimes referred to as WUR AP, WUR AP MLD, and WUR discovery elements, respectively. Several examples of WUR discovery elements are given below.

[0085] Example 1 The format of a WUR discovery element is shown in Figure 5. A WUR discovery element includes an element ID field, a length field, an element ID extension field, and a WUR AP information list field. The element ID field, length field, and element ID extension field conform to the IEEE standard 802.11ba. TM - Defined in 2021. The WUR AP information list field further includes one or more WUR AP information subfields. Each WUR AP information subfield identifies a WUR AP that transmits legacy WUR discovery frames on a specific WUR discovery channel.

[0086] The format of the WUR AP information subfield is shown in Figure 6. The WUR Discovery Operating Class field indicates the operating class in use for sending legacy WUR Discovery frames by the WUR APs listed in this subfield. The WUR Discovery Channel field indicates the channel in use for sending legacy WUR Discovery frames by the WUR APs listed in this subfield. The WUR AP Count field specifies the number of WUR AP parameter subfields included in the WUR AP Parameter List field minus 1. The WUR AP Parameter List field contains one or more WUR AP parameter subfields. Each WUR AP parameter subfield identifies a single WUR AP, which may be a WUR AP that transmits this WUR Discovery element itself (i.e., a transmitting WUR AP), a WUR AP associated with the same WUR AP MLD as the transmitting WUR AP, a neighboring WUR AP, or a WUR AP associated with a neighboring WUR AP MLD. In Method 400, the transmitting WUR AP is the first AP.

[0087] The format of the WUR AP parameter subfield is shown in Figure 7. The WUR AP parameter control field indicates the presence of the Short SSID, BSSID, WUR Discovery Period, AP MLD ID, and Link ID Information fields. The Transmit WUR AP subfield is set to 1 if the WUR AP parameter subfield identifies the Transmit WUR AP's own WUR Discovery Channel, and to 0 otherwise. The Short SSID Presence subfield is set to 1 if the Short SSID field is present in the WUR AP parameter subfield, and to 0 otherwise. The BSSID Presence subfield is set to 1 if the BSSID field is present in the WUR AP parameter subfield, and to 0 otherwise. The WUR Discovery Period Presence subfield is set to 1 if the WUR Discovery Period field is present in the WUR AP parameter subfield, and to 0 otherwise. The AP MLD ID and Link ID Presence subfields are set to 1 if both the AP MLD ID field and the Link ID Information field are present in the WUR AP parameter subfield, and to 0 otherwise. The AP MLD ID and Link ID existence subfields should be set to 0 if the WUR AP identified by the WUR AP parameter subfield is not part of the WUR AP MLD, or if the transmitting WUR AP does not have information about its WUR AP MLD.

[0088] The Short SSID field contains the Short SSID of the WUR AP, as identified by the WUR AP Parameters subfield. The BSSID field contains the BSSID of the WUR AP, as identified by the WUR AP Parameters subfield. The WUR Discovery Period field contains the number of Time Units (TUs) between consecutive Legacy WUR Discovery Frames transmitted by the WUR AP, as identified by the WUR AP Parameters subfield. 0 is reserved.

[0089] The AP MLD ID field indicates the identifier of the AP MLD that the WUR AP, identified by the WUR AP parameter subfield, is associated with. If the WUR AP identified by the WUR AP parameter subfield is associated with the same MLD as the transmitting WUR AP, the AP MLD ID field is set to 0. If the WUR AP identified by the WUR AP parameter subfield is associated with an AP MLD that is not associated with the transmitting WUR AP, the AP MLD ID subfield is set to a value that is unique to this AP MLD and is greater than 0 and less than 255 in the frame carrying the Multiple BSSID element if there is no Multiple BSSID element carried in the same frame, or 2 if the Multiple BSSID element is carried in the same frame. n Set to a value greater than -1 and less than 255, n is the value contained in the MaxBSSID indicator field within the MultiBSSID element. The Link ID Information field contains a 4-bit Link ID subfield indicating the link identifier of the WUR AP, which is identified by the WUR AP Parameters subfield within its Affiliated AP MLD.

[0090] Example 2

[0091] Example 2 is similar to Example 1. The difference is that the WUR AP parameter subfield of the WUR AP identified by the WUR AP parameter subfield includes an MLD MAC address field that indicates the MLD MAC address of the WUR AP MLD with which the WUR AP is affiliated.

[0092] Specifically, the format of the WUR discovery element and WUR AP information subfield should be explained in Figures 6 and 7 in Example 1, and will not be repeated here.

[0093] The format of the WUR AP parameter subfield is shown in Figure 8. The WUR AP parameter control field indicates the presence of the Short SSID, BSSID field, WUR Discovery Period field, AP MLD ID field, Link ID Information field, and MLD MAC Address field. The MLD MAC Address Presence subfield is set to 1 if the MLD MAC Address field is present in the WUR AP parameter subfield, and to 0 otherwise. The MLD MAC Address Presence subfield should be set to 0 when the AP MLD ID and Link ID Presence subfields are set to 0. The MLD MAC Address field indicates the MLD MAC address of the WUR AP MLD to which the WUR AP identified by the WUR AP parameter subfield is associated. For a description of the remaining fields of the WUR AP parameter subfield, see Figure 7 in Example 1, which will not be repeated here.

[0094] Therefore, an AP affiliated with a WUR AP MLD may transmit discovery elements in beacon frames and / or probe response frames, indicating discovery information for one or more WUR APs, each of which may be a transmitting WUR AP, a WUR AP affiliated with the same WUR AP MLD as the transmitting AP, a neighboring AP, or a WUR AP affiliated with a neighboring WUR AP MLD.

[0095] In other possible implementations, a portion of the discovery information for each of the first AP, at least one second AP, at least one third AP, or at least one fourth AP may be carried by discovery elements such as WUR discovery elements, and the remaining portion of the discovery information for each of the first AP, at least one second AP, at least one third AP, or at least one fourth AP may be carried by RAN elements. In other words, the first frame includes discovery elements and RNR elements, the discovery elements and RNR elements include the same information of the AP MLD, and the discovery elements do not include part of the discovery information, while the RNR elements include part of the discovery information. A more detailed explanation is as follows.

[0096] We will treat the AP MLD ID and Link ID as AP MLD information. If discovery information for an AP associated with an AP MLD is included in the discovery element within the beacon frame and / or probe response frame, then the normal discovery information for this AP should be included in the RNR element within the same frame. For the same AP associated with the same AP MLD, the AP MLD ID and Link ID subfields of the AP parameter field within the discovery element should be set to the same values ​​as their respective counterparts in the Target Beacon Transmission Time (TBTT) information field within the RNR element. As a result, for an AP associated with an AP MLD, its discovery information contained in the discovery element and its normal discovery information contained in the RNR element within the same frame can be associated via the AP MLD ID and Link ID subfields. Such associations between discovery elements and RNR elements can be leveraged to minimize overhead. For example, for WUR APs that are affiliated with WUR AP MLD, information such as BSSID and short SSID is already included in the TBTT information field of the RNR element, so it may not be necessary in the corresponding WUR AP parameter field of the WUR discovery element.

[0097] In addition, when the invalid link indication subfield of the TBTT information field in the RNR element contained in the beacon frame and / or probe response frame indicates an invalid link for the WUR AP MLD, the WUR discovery element in the same frame should not contain the WUR AP parameter field for the WUR AP operating on that link for the WUR AP MLD.

[0098] For step 402, the second frame may be a discovery frame. This application does not limit the format of the discovery frame. In the WUR scenario, the AP, AP MLD, and discovery frame may be referred to as WUR AP, WUR AP MLD, and WUR discovery frame, respectively. Some examples of WUR discovery frames are given below. Example 1 WUR Discovery Frame is based on the IEEE standard 802.11ba. TM- This is a legacy WUR discovery frame defined as a 2021 model, and its format is shown in Figure 9. The MAC header field includes a frame control subfield, an ID subfield, and a type-dependent control subfield. The frame control subfield includes a type subfield, a protected subfield, a frame body presence subfield, and a length subfield. The type subfield is set to a value (e.g., 3) to indicate that the frame is a legacy WUR discovery frame. The protected subfield is set to a value (e.g., 0) to indicate that the legacy WUR discovery frame contains a 16-bit cyclic redundancy check (CRC). The frame body presence subfield is set to a value (e.g., 1) to indicate that the frame body field is present in this frame. The length subfield is set to indicate that the frame body field is 4 octets long. The ID subfield is set to the transmitter ID, which is the 12 LSBs of the compressed BSSID of the transmitting AP. The type-dependent control subfield is set to the 12 MSBs of the compressed BSSID of the transmitting AP. In method 400, the transmitting AP is the first AP.

[0099] The format of the frame body fields is shown in Figure 10. The compressed BSSID field contains the 16 LSBs of the short SSID, and the operating class and channel subfields indicate the location of the primary channel of the BSS advertised by the legacy WUR discovery frame.

[0100] In a possible implementation, if the second frame in step S402 is a legacy WUR discovery frame as defined in Figures 9 and 10, the AP MLD may further transmit the legacy WUR discovery frame through the remaining APs that are affiliated with the AP MLD in order to obtain essential information about the WUR AP MLD, and therefore the STA may further receive legacy WUR discovery frames from those remaining APs. In this implementation, each AP affiliated with the WUR AP MLD periodically schedules its own legacy WUR discovery frame for transmission on its own WUR discovery channel to assist the STA during WUR AP MLD discovery.

[0101] The behavior of STA in step 402 when the second frame in step 402 is a legacy WUR discovery frame is described in detail below.

[0102] In possible implementations, the STA may generate a request primitive on the SME and perform a scan according to the parameters given in the request primitive to receive a second frame on the MAC layer. In one example, the request primitive may include the following parameters: WURDiscoveryChannelList: Indicates one or more WUR discovery channels to be scanned. Transmitter ID (optional): Indicates the transmitter ID of the WUR AP to be discovered. CompressedBSSID_MSB (optional): Specifies the 12 MSBs of the compressed BSSID of the WUR AP to be discovered. Compressed SSID (optional): Displays the 16 LSBs of the short SSID of the WUR AP to be discovered.

[0103] When the STA completes the scan on all indicated WUR discovery channels, it returns the scan results to the SME in one or more parameter sets of the approval primitives based on the second frame on the MAC layer. Each parameter set is specific to the discovered WUR AP and includes the following parameters: Transmitter ID: Indicates the transmitter ID of the discovered WUR AP. CompressedBSSID_MSB: Shows the 12 MSBs of the compressed BSSID of the discovered WUR AP. Compressed SSID: Shows the 16 LSBs of the short SSID of the discovered WUR AP. Operating Channel: Specifies the primary channel of the discovered WUR AP. RSSI: Specify the RSSI from the discovered WUR AP.

[0104] Optionally, the request primitive is MLME-WURDISCOVERY.request primitive and / or the approval primitive is MLME-WURDISCOVERY.confirm primitive. The parameter set may be the BSSDescriptionFromWDSet parameter set.

[0105] Therefore, according to the information for each AP affiliated with the WUR AP MLD, such as the SSID and BSSID in the most recently received discovery element and / or RNR element, the STA can determine one or more BSSDescriptionFromWDSet parameter sets corresponding to APs affiliated with the same WUR AP MLD.

[0106] Example 2 The WUR Discovery Frame is an extended WUR Discovery Frame capable of carrying essential information from one or more APs partnered with the WUR AP MLD.

[0107] Specifically, when both legacy WUR discovery frames and extended WUR discovery frames are transmitted by an AP partnering with a WUR AP MLD on the same or different transmission opportunities (TXOPs) within the WUR discovery period, Option 1: The extended WUR discovery frame carries essential information for all APs partnered with the WUR AP MLD, in which case non-WUR AP STAs may ignore the receipt of legacy WUR discovery frames, or Option 2: The Extended WUR Discovery Frame carries essential information about all APs partnered with the WUR AP MLD, excluding the transmitting AP. In this case, non-WUR AP STAs must receive both the Legacy and Extended WUR Discovery Frames.

[0108] Next, we will describe the format of the extended WUR discovery frame.

[0109] Figure 9 shows a typical format for extended WUR discovery frames, and the meaning of each field in an extended WUR discovery frame is as follows.

[0110] The Type subfield of the MAC header field is set to a value (e.g., 5) to indicate that the frame is an extended WUR discovery frame. The Protected subfield is set to a value (e.g., 0) to indicate that the extended WUR discovery frame contains a 16-bit CRC. The Frame Body Presence subfield is set to a value (e.g., 1) to indicate that the frame body field is present within this frame. The Length subfield is set to indicate the length of the frame body field. The ID subfield is set to the Transmitter ID, which is the 12 LSBs of the compressed MLD MAC address of the WUR AP MLD that the transmitting WUR AP is associated with. The Type Dependency Control subfield is set to the 12 MSBs of the compressed MLD MAC address of the WUR AP MLD that the transmitting WUR AP is associated with.

[0111] The frame body field of the extended WUR discovery frame is different from that of the legacy WUR discovery frame.

[0112] A typical format for the frame body field is defined in Figure 11. The compressed SSID field contains the 16 LSBs of the short SSID. The link ID bitmap subfield indicates the link ID of each link whose corresponding BSS is advertised by the extended WUR discovery frame. A value of 1 at bit position k in the bitmap indicates that the BSS corresponding to link k is advertised by the extended WUR discovery frame. A value of 0 at bit position k in the bitmap indicates that the BSS corresponding to link k is not advertised by the extended WUR discovery frame. The operating class and channel list subfields contain one or more operating class and channel subfields, each indicating the location of the primary channel of the BSS corresponding to a particular link with the corresponding bit in the link ID bitmap subfield set to 1. The one or more operating class and channel subfields are arranged in increasing order with respect to the link ID. For example, if a WUR AP MLD has three links (i.e., link 1, link 2, and link 3), and the link ID bitmap subfield indicates that BSSs corresponding to link 1 and link 3 are advertised by the extended WUR discovery frame, then there are two operating class and channel subfields for link 1 and link 3. The first operating class and channel subfield corresponds to link 1, and the second operating class and channel subfield corresponds to link 3.

[0113] Other typical formats for frame body fields are defined in Figure 12. For each BSS advertised by the Extended WUR Discovery Frame, there are a Link ID subfield and operating class and channel subfields. The operating class and channel subfields indicate the location of the primary channel of the BSS corresponding to the link indicated in the preceding Link ID subfield.

[0114] As mentioned in Example 2, the ID subfield is set to the 12 LSBs of the compressed MLD MAC address of the WUR AP MLD that the sending WUR AP is affiliated with, and the frame body field carries essential information about one or more APs that are affiliated with the WUR AP MLD. Therefore, it can also be considered to be discovering the AP MLD.

[0115] In a possible implementation, if the second frame in step 402 is a legacy WUR discovery frame as defined in Figures 9 and 10, the AP MLD may further transmit a third frame, which is an extended WUR discovery frame, through the first AP in order to obtain essential information for the WUR AP MLD, and therefore the STA may further receive the third frame from the first AP. In this case, the third frame may contain essential information for at least one second AP (e.g., primary channel information). At least one second AP belongs to an AP other than the transmitting AP (i.e., the first AP) that is affiliated with the WUR AP MLD. In other words, the third frame may carry essential information for all APs other than the transmitting AP (i.e., the first AP) that are affiliated with the WUR AP MLD.

[0116] In this implementation, one or more WUR discovery channels may be configured for each WUR AP MLD. Each AP partnering with a WUR AP MLD operating on one or more WUR discovery channels periodically schedules legacy WUR discovery frames and extended WUR discovery frames for transmission to assist non-AP STAs in WUR AP MLD discovery. Therefore, an STA can perform a WUR scan on a single WUR discovery channel for each WUR AP MLD. Since the STA can obtain essential information about the WUR AP MLD by scanning a single WUR discovery channel, WUR scan delay and power consumption can be significantly reduced.

[0117] In other possible implementations, when the second frame in step 402 is an extended WUR discovery frame as defined in Example 2, in other words, when the second frame further carries essential information (e.g., primary channel information) of at least one second AP that is affiliated with the WUR AP MLD. The at least one second AP belongs to an AP that is affiliated with the WUR AP MLD, other than the transmitting AP (i.e., the first AP).

[0118] In one example, in the second frame, the Type subfield is used to indicate an Extended WUR Discovery Frame. The Link ID Bitmap subfield is used to indicate the Link ID of each link advertised by the second frame, and the Link ID indicated by the Link ID Bitmap subfield includes the Link ID of the first AP and the Link ID of at least one second AP. The Operating Class and Channel List subfields are used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, and the primary channel information indicated by the Operating Class and Channel List subfields includes the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP.

[0119] In other examples, the second frame specifically includes a type subfield and multiple information groups, each of which includes a link ID subfield and operating class and channel subfields. The type subfield is used to indicate an extended WUR discovery frame. The multiple information groups are used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, and the primary channel information indicated by the multiple information groups includes the primary channel information of a first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP.

[0120] In this implementation, one or more WUR discovery channels may be configured for each WUR AP MLD. Each AP partnering with a WUR AP MLD operating on one or more WUR discovery channels periodically schedules extended WUR discovery frames for transmission to assist the STA in WUR AP MLD discovery. Thus, the STA can perform a WUR scan on a single WUR discovery channel for each WUR AP MLD. By scanning a single WUR discovery channel, the STA can obtain essential information about the WUR AP MLD, significantly reducing WUR scan delay and power consumption. Of course, legacy WUR discovery frames may also be scheduled by the first AP, but the STA may ignore the reception of legacy WUR discovery frames as described in Option 1 above.

[0121] It should be noted that when the second frame in step 402 is an extended WUR discovery frame, if the AP is affiliated with an AP MLD, the AP discovery information in the first frame should include an MLD MAC address field indicating the MLD MAC address of the WUR AP MLD with which the AP is affiliated. The behavior of the STA is described in detail below.

[0122] In possible implementations, the STA may generate a request primitive on the SME and perform a scan according to the parameters given in the request primitive to receive a second frame on the MAC layer. In one example, the request primitive may include the following parameters: WURDiscoveryChannelList: Indicates one or more WUR discovery channels to be scanned. AP MLD Indicator (Optional): Set to 0 to indicate that WUR AP is a target for detection, or set to 1 to indicate that WUR AP MLD is a target for detection. Transmitter ID (optional): If the AP MLD indicator has a value of 0, it will show the transmitter ID of the WUR AP being discovered. If the AP MLD indicator has a value of 1, it will show the transmitter ID of the WUR AP MLD being discovered. CompressedMLDMACAddress_MSB (optional): Indicates the 12 MSBs of the compressed MLD MAC address of the WUR AP MLD to be discovered, or it does not exist if the AP MLD indicator has a value of 1. CompressedBSSID_MSB (optional): Indicates the 12 MSBs of the compressed BSSID of the WUR AP being discovered, or it does not exist if the AP MLD indicator has a value of 1. Compressed SSID (optional): Indicates the 16 LSBs of the short SSID of the WUR AP or WUR AP MLD to be discovered.

[0123] When the STA completes the scan for all indicated WUR discovery channels, it returns the scan results to the SME in one or more parameter sets of the approval primitive, based on the second frame on the MAC layer. Each parameter set is specific to the discovered WUR AP or discovered WUR AP MLD and includes the following parameters: AP MLD indicator: Set to 0 to indicate that WUR AP is found, or set to 1 to indicate that WUR AP MLD is found. Transmitter ID: If the AP MLD indicator has a value of 0, it indicates the transmitter ID of the discovered WUR AP; if the AP MLD indicator has a value of 1, it indicates the transmitter ID of the discovered WUR AP MLD. CompressedBSSID_MSB: If the AP MLD indicator has a value of 0, it indicates the 12 MSBs of the compressed BSSID of the found WUR AP; otherwise, it does not exist. CompressedMLDMACAddress_MSB: If the AP MLD indicator has a value of 1, it indicates the 12 MSBs of the compressed MLD MAC address of the found WUR AP MLD; otherwise, it does not exist. Compressed SSID: Shows the 16 LSBs of the short SSID of the discovered WUR AP or discovered WUR AP MLD. If the LinkID bitmap or LinkIDList:AP MLD indicator has a value of 1, it specifies one or more APs that are affiliated with the discovered WUR AP MLD; otherwise, it does not exist. OperatingChannelList: If the AP MLD indicator has a value of 0, specify the primary channel of the discovered WUR AP; otherwise, if the AP MLD indicator has a value of 1, specify the primary channels of one or more APs that are affiliated with the discovered WUR AP MLD. RSSI: If the AP MLD indicator has a value of 0, specify the RSSI from the discovered WUR AP; otherwise, if the AP MLD indicator has a value of 1, specify the transmitting AP that is associated with the discovered WUR AP MLD.

[0124] Optionally, the request primitive is MLME-WURDISCOVERY.request primitive and / or the approval primitive is MLME-WURDISCOVERY.confirm primitive. The parameter set may be the BSSDescriptionFromWDSet parameter set.

[0125] In this application, the discovery mechanism is extended to enable more efficient AP MLD discovery while maintaining backward compatibility with legacy STA.

[0126] It should be noted that the above embodiments of this application may be implemented independently or together in an appropriate manner.

[0127] The method provided in this application is described in detail above with reference to Figures 4 to 12. Embodiments of the apparatus of this application are described in detail below with reference to Figures 13 to 14.

[0128] To realize the functions in the above embodiments, it is understood that the apparatus in Figure 13 or Figure 14 may include corresponding hardware architectures and / or software modules that perform each of those functions.

[0129] Figures 19 and 20 provide possible structural diagrams of the apparatus. The apparatus may be used to implement the functions of the AP MLD or STA of the method embodiment described above, and therefore the apparatus can realize the advantageous effects of the method embodiment described above.

[0130] As shown in Figure 13, the device 10 includes a communication unit 11 and a processing unit 12.

[0131] When the device 10 is used to implement the functions of the STA in the method embodiment described above, the communication unit 11 is used to receive a first frame, the first frame containing discovery information for a first AP that is affiliated with the AP MLD, the discovery information for the first AP containing information about the AP MLD, and to receive a second frame from the first AP, the second frame being used to discover the first AP. The processing unit 12 is used to determine that the first AP is affiliated with the AP MLD, according to the discovery information for the first AP and the second frame.

[0132] Optionally, the AP MLD information includes at least one of the following parameters: the AP MLD ID of the AP MLD, the link ID of the first AP within the AP MLD, or the MAC address of the AP MLD.

[0133] Optionally, the first frame further includes discovery information for at least one second AP and / or discovery information for at least one third AP, each second AP being an AP affiliated with an AP MLD, and the discovery information for each second AP including information for the AP MLD; each third AP being an AP affiliated with a neighboring AP MLD of the AP MLD, and the discovery information for each third AP including information for the AP MLD with which the third AP is affiliated.

[0134] Optionally, the first frame further includes discovery information for at least one fourth AP, each fourth AP being a neighboring AP of the first AP, and the discovery information for each fourth AP includes information about the fourth AP.

[0135] Optionally, the type of the second frame differs from that of the legacy WUR discovery frame, and the second frame includes the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD and the primary channel information of at least one second AP that is affiliated with the AP MLD.

[0136] Optionally, the second frame includes a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, a link ID bitmap subfield, and an operating class and channel list subfield, wherein the type subfield is used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield is set to the 12 LSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the type-dependent control subfield is set to the 12 MSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the link ID bitmap subfield is used to indicate the link ID of each link whose corresponding BSS is advertised by the second frame, the link ID indicated by the link ID bitmap subfield includes the link ID of the first AP and the link ID of at least one second AP, and the operating class and channel list subfield is used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the primary channel information indicated by the operating class and channel list subfield includes the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP.

[0137] Optionally, the second frame includes a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, and multiple information groups, the type subfield being used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield being set to the 12 LSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the type-dependent control subfield being set to the 12 MSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the multiple information groups being used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the primary channel information indicated by the multiple information groups including the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP, each of the multiple information groups including a link ID subfield and an operating class and channel subfield, the link ID subfield being used to indicate the link ID of the link on which the corresponding BSS is advertised by the second frame, and the operating class and channel subfield being used to indicate the primary channel information of the corresponding BSS indicated by the link ID subfield within the same information group.

[0138] Optionally, the communication unit 11 and / or processing unit 12 are used to generate a request primitive on the SME, the request primitive including a discovery channel list used to indicate one or more discovery channels to be scanned, perform a scan on one or more discovery channels and receive a second frame on the MAC layer, and return an acknowledgment primitive to the SME based on the second frame on the MAC layer. The approval primitive has the following parameters, namely: An indicator used to show that AP MLD has been discovered. The transmitter ID used to indicate the 12 LSBs of the compressed MAC address of AP MLD, CompressedMLDMACAddress_MSB is used to indicate the 12 MSBs of the compressed MAC address in AP MLD. A compressed SSID used to indicate the 16 LSBs of the AP MLD's short SSID. A link ID bitmap or link ID list used to specify one or more APs that are affiliated with AP MLD. OperatingChannelList is used to specify the primary channel for each of one or more APs that are partnered with AP MLD, and RSSI used to show the RSSI of the first AP It includes at least one of the following.

[0139] Optionally, the requested primitive has the following parameters: An indicator used to show that AP MLD is the target of discovery. The transmitter ID used to identify the 12 LSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD being discovered. CompressedMLDMACAddress_MSB is used to indicate the 12 MSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD being discovered, and Compressed SSID used to indicate the 16 LSBs of the short SSID of the AP MLD being discovered. It further includes at least one of the following.

[0140] Optionally, the communication unit 11 may also receive a third frame from a first AP, the third frame containing the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD and primary channel information of at least one second AP associated with the AP MLD, the type of the third frame being different from that of a legacy WUR discovery frame.

[0141] Optionally, the first frame includes a WUR discovery element, and discovery information for the first AP is carried by the WUR discovery element, or the first frame includes a WUR discovery element and an RNR element, and the WUR discovery element and the RNR element include AP MLD information, the RNR element includes part of the discovery information for the first AP, and the WUR discovery element does not include part of the discovery information for the first AP.

[0142] When the device 10 is used to implement the functions of the AP MLD in the method embodiment described above, the communication unit 11 is used to generate a first frame through a first AP that is in association with the AP MLD, wherein the first frame includes discovery information for the first AP, and the discovery information for the first AP includes information about the AP MLD, and to transmit the first frame through the first AP.

[0143] Optionally, the AP MLD information includes at least one of the following parameters: the AP MLD ID of the AP MLD, the link ID of the first AP within the AP MLD, or the MAC address of the AP MLD.

[0144] Optionally, the first frame further includes discovery information for at least one second AP and / or discovery information for at least one third AP, each second AP being an AP affiliated with an AP MLD, and the discovery information for each second AP including information for the AP MLD; each third AP being an AP affiliated with a neighboring AP MLD of the AP MLD, and the discovery information for each third AP including information for the AP MLD with which the third AP is affiliated.

[0145] Optionally, the first frame further includes discovery information for at least one fourth AP, each fourth AP being a neighboring AP of the first AP, and the discovery information for each fourth AP includes information about the fourth AP.

[0146] Optionally, the communication unit 11 may also transmit a second frame through the first AP based on discovery information for the first AP, the second frame being used to discover the first AP and containing primary channel information for the first AP.

[0147] Optionally, the type of the second frame differs from that of the legacy WUR discovery frame, and the second frame further includes the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD and primary channel information of at least one second AP associated with the AP MLD.

[0148] Optionally, the second frame includes a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, a link ID bitmap subfield, and an operating class and channel list subfield, wherein the type subfield is used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield is set to the 12 LSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the type-dependent control subfield is set to the 12 MSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the link ID bitmap subfield is used to indicate the link ID of each link whose corresponding BSS is advertised by the second frame, the link ID indicated by the link ID bitmap subfield includes the link ID of the first AP and the link ID of at least one second AP, and the operating class and channel list subfield is used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the primary channel information indicated by the operating class and channel list subfield includes the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP.

[0149] Optionally, the second frame includes a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, and multiple information groups, the type subfield being used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield being set to the 12 LSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the type-dependent control subfield being set to the 12 MSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, the multiple information groups being used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the primary channel information indicated by the multiple information groups including the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP, each of the multiple information groups including a link ID subfield and an operating class and channel subfield, the link ID subfield being used to indicate the link ID of the link on which the corresponding BSS is advertised by the second frame, and the operating class and channel subfield being used to indicate the primary channel information of the corresponding BSS indicated by the link ID subfield within the same information group.

[0150] Optionally, the communication unit 11 may also transmit a third frame through the first AP, the third frame containing the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD and primary channel information of at least one second AP associated with the AP MLD, the type of the third frame being different from that of a legacy WUR discovery frame.

[0151] Optionally, the first frame includes a WUR discovery element, and discovery information for the first AP is carried by the WUR discovery element, or the first frame includes a WUR discovery element and an RNR element, and the WUR discovery element and the RNR element include AP MLD information, the RNR element includes part of the discovery information for the first AP, and the WUR discovery element does not include part of the discovery information for the first AP.

[0152] A more detailed description of the communication unit 11 and the processing unit 12 can be found in the relevant descriptions in the method embodiment described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0153] As shown in Figure 14, the device 20 may include a processor 21. The processor 21 is coupled to a memory 23 used for storing instructions. While the device 20 is used to carry out the method described above, the processor 21 is used to execute instructions in the memory 23 to realize the functions of the processing unit 12 described above.

[0154] Optionally, the device 20 further includes a memory 23.

[0155] Optionally, the device 20 further includes an interface circuit 22. The processor 21 is coupled to the interface circuit 22. As understood, the interface circuit 22 may be a transceiver or an I / O interface. When the device 20 is used to carry out the method described above, the processor 21 is used to execute instructions and realize the functions of the processing unit 12, and the interface circuit 22 is used to realize the functions of the communication unit 11.

[0156] For example, when device 20 is a chip applied within an STA or AP MLD, the chip implements the functions of the STA or AP MLD. The chip receives information from other modules within the STA or AP MLD (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is transmitted to the STA or AP MLD by other devices. Optionally, the chip transmits information to other modules within the STA or AP MLD (such as a radio frequency module or antenna), and the information is transmitted to other devices.

[0157] This application also provides a first AP affiliated with AP MLD, which includes one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to execute computer programs stored in memory and to carry out any of the methods provided by the method embodiments described above.

[0158] This application also provides a processor configured to execute a computer program stored in memory and to carry out any of the methods provided by the method embodiments described above.

[0159] This application also provides a computer-readable medium on which a program is recorded, which, when executed, enables a computer to carry out any of the methods provided by the embodiments of the method described above.

[0160] This application also provides a computer program product which includes instructions for implementing any of the methods provided by the method embodiments described above.

[0161] This application also provides a computer program that, when executed, enables a computer to carry out any of the methods provided by the embodiments of the method described above.

[0162] This application also provides a chip comprising at least one processor and a communication interface, the at least one processor, through the communication interface, retrieves a computer program or instruction stored in memory and is used to carry out any of the methods provided by the method embodiments described above.

[0163] This application also provides a communication system, which includes the aforementioned station and / or AP MLD.

[0164] Those skilled in the art will notice that the units and algorithmic steps in the examples described in relation to the embodiments disclosed in this specification may be implemented by electronic hardware or a combination of computer software and electronic hardware. Whether the function is performed by hardware or software depends on the design constraints of the particular application and technical solution. Those skilled in the art may implement the described function for each particular application using different methods, but such implementation should not be considered to exceed the scope of this application.

[0165] For the purpose of a convenient and concise explanation, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the detailed operating processes of the described systems, apparatus, and units can be found by referring to the corresponding processes in the method embodiments described above.

[0166] In some embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, apparatus, and methods may be implemented in other ways. For example, the described apparatus embodiments are merely examples. For example, the division into units is merely a logical functional division, and other divisions may be used in actual implementations. For example, multiple units or components may be coupled or integrated into other systems, and some functions may be omitted or not performed. In addition, the mutual coupling, direct coupling, or communication connection shown or discussed may be realized through some interfaces. Indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatus or units may be realized in electronic, mechanical, or other forms.

[0167] Units described as separate parts may or may not be physically separate, and parts shown as units may or may not be physical units, and may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected based on actual requirements to achieve the objectives of the solution of the embodiment.

[0168] In addition, the functional units in the embodiments of this application may be integrated into a single processing unit, each unit may exist physically independently, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit.

[0169] When a function is implemented in the form of a software function unit and sold or made available as an independent product, the function may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium. Based on such understanding, the technical solutions of this application, or parts thereof that contribute to the present art, may be implemented in the form of a software product. The software product is stored on a storage medium and includes several instructions for instructing a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device) to perform all or part of the steps of the method described in embodiments of this application. The storage medium includes any medium capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, removable hard disk, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or compact disk.

[0170] The above description merely outlines the specific implementation of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection. Any modifications or substitutions that are readily understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical knowledge disclosed herein should fall within the scope of protection. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be limited to the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A step of receiving a first frame by a station, wherein the first frame includes discovery information for a first access point (AP) that is in association with an AP multilink device (MLD), and the discovery information for the first AP includes information for the AP MLD, The steps include: receiving a second frame from the first AP by the station, wherein the second frame is a wake-up radio (WUR) discovery frame, and the second frame is used to discover the first AP; The station determines, in accordance with the discovery information for the first AP and the second frame, that the first AP is affiliated with the AP MLD. A communication method that includes this.

2. The information of the AP MLD includes at least one of the following parameters: the AP MLD ID of the AP MLD, the link ID of the first AP within the AP MLD, or the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the AP MLD. The method according to claim 1.

3. The first frame further includes discovery information for at least one second AP and / or discovery information for at least one third AP, each second AP being an AP affiliated with the AP MLD, the discovery information for each second AP including the information of the AP MLD, each third AP being an AP affiliated with a neighboring AP MLD of the AP MLD, the discovery information for each third AP including the information of the AP MLD with which the third AP is affiliated. The method according to claim 1.

4. The first frame further includes discovery information for at least one fourth AP, each fourth AP being a neighboring AP of the first AP, and the discovery information for each fourth AP includes information about the fourth AP. The method according to claim 3.

5. The second frame type differs from that of the legacy wake-up radio (WUR) discovery frame, and the second frame includes the compressed media access control (MAC) address of the AP MLD and the primary channel information of at least one second AP that is affiliated with the AP MLD. The method according to claim 1.

6. The second frame includes, in particular, a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, a link ID bitmap subfield, and an operating class and channel list subfield, wherein the type subfield is used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield is set to the 12 least significant bits (LSB) of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, and the type-dependent control subfield is set to the AP The most significant bits (MSB) of the compressed MAC address of the MLD are set, and the link ID bitmap subfield is used to indicate the link ID of each link in which the corresponding basic service set (BSS) is advertised by the second frame, the link ID indicated by the link ID bitmap subfield includes the link ID of the first AP and the link ID of the at least one second AP, the operating class and channel list subfield is used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the primary channel information indicated by the operating class and channel list subfield includes the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of the at least one second AP, The method according to claim 5.

7. The second frame includes, in particular, a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, and a plurality of information groups, wherein the type subfield is used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield is set to the 12 least significant bits (LSB) of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, and the type-dependent control subfield is set to the AP The information groups are set in the twelve most significant bits (MSB) of the compressed MAC address of the MLD, and the plurality of information groups are used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the primary channel information indicated by the plurality of information groups includes the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP, each of the plurality of information groups includes a link ID subfield and an operating class and channel subfield, the link ID subfield is used to indicate the link ID of the link in which the corresponding BSS is advertised by the second frame, and the operating class and channel subfield is used to indicate the primary channel information of the corresponding BSS indicated by the link ID subfield in the same information group. The method according to claim 5.

8. The step of receiving the second frame from the first AP is: The steps include: generating a request primitive on a System Management Entity (SME) by the station, wherein the request primitive includes a discovery channel list used to indicate one or more discovery channels to be scanned; The station performs a scan on one or more discovery channels and receives the second frame on the MAC layer, The step of the station returning an approval primitive to the SME based on the second frame on the MAC layer, wherein the approval primitive has the following parameters, namely: An indicator used to show that AP MLD has been discovered. A transmitter ID used to indicate the 12 least significant bits (LSB) of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, CompressedMLDMACAAddress_MSB is used to indicate the 12 most significant bits (MSB) of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD. A compressed service set identifier (SSID) used to indicate the 16 LSBs of the short SSID of the aforementioned AP MLD, A link ID bitmap or link ID list used to specify one or more APs that are affiliated with the aforementioned AP MLD, OperatingChannelList, used to specify the primary channel of each of the one or more APs that are affiliated with the aforementioned AP MLD, and A received signal strength indicator (RSSI) used to indicate the RSSI of the first AP. A step including at least one of the following Further including, The method according to claim 5.

9. The aforementioned request primitive has the following parameters, namely: An indicator used to show that AP MLD is the target of detection. The transmitter ID used to indicate the 12 LSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD that is the target of discovery, CompressedMLDMACAAddress_MSB, which is used to indicate the 12 MSBs of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD that is the target of discovery, and A compressed service set identifier (SSID) used to indicate the 16 LSBs of the short SSID of the AP MLD that is the target of discovery. Further including at least one of the following: The method according to claim 8.

10. The method further includes the step of the station receiving a third frame from the first AP, wherein the third frame includes the compressed media access control (MAC) address of the AP MLD and primary channel information of at least one second AP affiliated with the AP MLD, and the type of the third frame is different from that of a legacy wake-up radio (WUR) discovery frame. The method according to claim 1.

11. The first frame includes a wake-up radio (WUR) discovery element, and the discovery information for the first AP is carried by the WUR discovery element, or the first frame includes a WUR discovery element and a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element, and the WUR discovery element and the RNR element include the information of the AP MLD, the RNR element includes a portion of the discovery information for the first AP, and the WUR discovery element does not include the portion of the discovery information for the first AP. The method according to claim 1.

12. A step of generating a first frame through a first AP that is affiliated with an Access Point (AP) Multilink Device (MLD), wherein the first frame includes discovery information for the first AP, and the discovery information for the first AP includes information for the AP MLD, The steps include transmitting the first frame through the first AP using the AP MLD, The steps include: transmitting a second frame through the first AP based on the discovery information for the first AP using the AP MLD, wherein the second frame is a wake-up radio (WUR) discovery frame, and the second frame is used to discover the first AP; A communication method that includes this.

13. The information of the AP MLD includes at least one of the following parameters: the AP MLD ID of the AP MLD, the link ID of the first AP within the AP MLD, or the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the AP MLD. The method according to claim 12.

14. The first frame further includes discovery information for at least one second AP and / or discovery information for at least one third AP, each second AP being an AP affiliated with the AP MLD, the discovery information for each second AP including the information of the AP MLD, each third AP being an AP affiliated with a neighboring AP MLD of the AP MLD, the discovery information for each third AP including the information of the AP MLD with which the third AP is affiliated. The method according to claim 12.

15. The first frame further includes discovery information for at least one fourth AP, each fourth AP being a neighboring AP of the first AP, and the discovery information for each fourth AP includes information about the fourth AP. The method according to claim 14.

16. The second frame type differs from that of the legacy wake-up radio (WUR) discovery frame, and the second frame includes the compressed media access control (MAC) address of the AP MLD and the primary channel information of at least one second AP that is affiliated with the AP MLD. The method according to claim 12.

17. The second frame includes, in particular, a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, a link ID bitmap subfield, and an operating class and channel list subfield, wherein the type subfield is used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield is set to the 12 least significant bits (LSB) of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, and the type-dependent control subfield is set to the AP The most significant bits (MSB) of the compressed MAC address of the MLD are set, the link ID bitmap subfield is used to indicate the link ID of each link whose corresponding BSS is advertised by the second frame, the link ID indicated by the link ID bitmap subfield includes the link ID of the first AP and the link ID of the at least one second AP, the operating class and channel list subfield is used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the primary channel information indicated by the operating class and channel list subfield includes the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of the at least one second AP, The method according to claim 16.

18. The second frame includes, in particular, a type subfield, an ID subfield, a type-dependent control subfield, and a plurality of information groups, wherein the type subfield is used to indicate the type of the second frame, the ID subfield is set to the 12 least significant bits (LSB) of the compressed MAC address of the AP MLD, and the type-dependent control subfield is set to the AP The information groups are set in the twelve most significant bits (MSB) of the compressed MAC address of the MLD, and the plurality of information groups are used to indicate the primary channel information of each BSS advertised by the second frame, the primary channel information indicated by the plurality of information groups includes the primary channel information of the first AP and the primary channel information of at least one second AP, each of the plurality of information groups includes a link ID subfield and an operating class and channel subfield, the link ID subfield is used to indicate the link ID of the link in which the corresponding BSS is advertised by the second frame, and the operating class and channel subfield is used to indicate the primary channel information of the corresponding BSS indicated by the link ID subfield in the same information group. The method according to claim 16.

19. The method further includes the step of transmitting a third frame through the first AP by the AP MLD, wherein the third frame includes the compressed Media Access Control (MAC) address of the AP MLD and primary channel information of at least one second AP affiliated with the AP MLD, and the type of the third frame is different from that of a legacy wake-up radio (WUR) discovery frame. The method according to claim 12.

20. The first frame includes a wake-up radio (WUR) discovery element, and the discovery information for the first AP is carried by the WUR discovery element, or the first frame includes a WUR discovery element and a reduced neighbor report (RNR) element, and the WUR discovery element and the RNR element include the information of the AP MLD, the RNR element includes a portion of the discovery information for the first AP, and the WUR discovery element does not include the portion of the discovery information for the first AP. The method according to claim 12.

21. A communication device comprising one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute computer programs stored in memory to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

22. The device further includes the memory, The apparatus according to claim 21.

23. The aforementioned device is a chip, The apparatus according to claim 21.

24. A computer-readable medium on which a program is recorded, wherein, when executed, the program can cause a computer to carry out the method described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

25. A computer program, wherein the computer program includes instructions for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

26. A communication system comprising the station according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and the AP MLD according to any one of claims 12 to 20.

27. ​​A communication device comprising one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute computer programs stored in memory to carry out the method according to any one of claims 12 to 20.

28. A computer-readable medium on which a program is recorded, wherein, when executed, the program can cause a computer to carry out the method described in any one of claims 12 to 20.

29. A computer program, wherein the computer program includes instructions for performing the method described in any one of claims 12 to 20.

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